Doctor Who showrunner, Russell T Davies, has cast doubts on the show’s future and seems to confirm that the series is “on pause”.
In the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine, Davies says he’s stopping writing the Production Notes that has been a mainstay of the publication for some years.
He writes:
“We don’t know what’s happening yet, and while everyone works that out, I’ll take a pause on this page. Thanks for reading! And thanks to DWM, a delight to work with you on this wonderful magazine. Hopefully, we’ll have news soon, and certainly, The War Between the Land and the Sea is about to break out, so there are great things ahead.”
A Doctor Who source explained to Deadline:
“This letter is a production notes diary for when the show is in production, or on air, and as Russell has stated within the piece, it is a pause.”
Russell also says that it’s not the end:
“[D]on’t be mad. Doctor Who will never end! There are pathways leading to potential futures…”
He then mentions Billie Piper apparently appearing as the Sixteenth Doctor at the end of The Reality War, Susan aka the Doctor’s granddaughter, and who the “Boss” of the Time Hotel from Joy to the World is. He adds:
“I’m still wondering who Gus is, from Mummy on the Orient Express. Maybe they’re the same!”
(This implies that Davies hasn’t planned who the Boss is and that he doesn’t read Jamie Mathieson’s newsletter as he spoke about who Gus was meant to be there.)
It’s clear he’s trying to be upbeat, but there’s an air of sadness to the whole affair. The show is on a pause for arguably the first time since 1996. True, Doctor Who Series 2 in 2006 wasn’t commissioned until after Series 1 aired in 2005, at which point a Christmas special was also commissioned, but at that time, the team basically approached the programme as if it were only going to run for 13 episodes; now, a third season with Davies and Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor has been planned, but seemingly shelved for the moment — so much so that Gatwa has left the show.
We don’t know what’s happening and it looks like no one behind the scenes knows either.
